Door-opening mechanism



June 4, 1929. J R CY 1,716,156

1 DOOR OPENING MECHANISM Filed May 15, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet l J-TT/YEY June 4, 3929, CY 1,716,156

DOOR OPENING MECHANISM Film???- May 15, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 4, 1929. I P. J. TRACY 1,716,156

DOOR OPENI NG MECHANI SM Filed May 15, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 4 'TTUP/VE Y Patented June 4, i929.

UNHTE stares PETER J. TRACY, 0F HAR'IFQRD, CONNECTICUT.

DOOR-OPENING mnoursnz.

Application filed. may 15, 1924; Serial No. 713,600.

My invention relates to mechanism for opening and closing doors of buildings, and an object of my invention, among others, is

the provision of mechanismof this class that shall most efici ently do the work required of it.

One form of mechanism embodying my invention and in the construction and use of which the objects herein set out, as well as others, may be attained, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top view of a set of doors having my improved door operating mechanism connected therewith, the doors being shown in their closed position.

Figure 2 is a view in vertical section through one of the doors and illustrating the door operating mechanism in side elevation.

Figure 3 is a detail top view, scale enlarged, of a portion of the mechanism showing the position of parts when the doors are open.

Figure 4 is a top view, scale the same as Figure 8, of a portion of "the mechanism showing the position of the. parts when the doors are closed.

Figure '5 is a view in side elevation of th mechanism shown in Figure 4.

' Figure Bis a top view of that portion of the mechanism located farthest from the doors.

Figure 7 is a side View of the same.

Figure 8 is a detail perspective view of the door actuating slide.

In the accompanying drawings the numerals 1011 indicate the doors of a build ing, as a garage, that are pivotally attached to posts-12 forming a portion of the frame of the building. The top of the door opening is bounded by the usual head rail 13.

A track 14 is'secured at one end to the head rail 13 and at its opposite and outer end to a track support 15 extending downwardly from arafter or other roof timber 16. A door actuating slide is mounted for reciprocating movement on the track 14, this slide comprising a base 17 having a groove therein to receive the track 14. A top piece 18 is secured to the base as by means of bolts, to close the top of'the groove in the base and also to afford a support for guide straps 19 that are adjustably secured to the top and have downwardly projecting guides 20 to receive an actuating belt 21 in a manner to be hereinafter described. Ears 22 project from opposite sides of the base and door openlng and closing latches 23-24, respectively, are pivotally mounted on opposite sides of the actuating slide on pins 25 rising from said ears.

A motor 26 is secured to and supported by the head rail 13, the shaftof the motor having a worm 27 in mesh with a worm wheel 28 rotatably mounted on a stud rising from the track 14:. A sheave 29 is secured to the worm wheel28, and a sheave 30 is rotatably mounted on a stud shaft 31 secured to and rising from theouter end of the track 14. The actuating belt 21 is supported upon said sheaves for traveling movement eilected thereby, and said belt is retained in operative relation with respect to the actuating slide by means of the guides 20 hereinbefore referred to, and as shown in Figure 8 of the drawings.

A catch block 32 and a releasing block 33 are each secured to the belt21 at such distance one from the other as to perform their respective functions each in cooperation with the other as the belt travels around the sheaves 29 and 30. Said blocks are so located on the belt as to pass under the lower ends of the guides 20, and as shown in Figure 7 of the drawings. Each of the latches 23-2 1 is provided with a catch shoulder 3 1 and a lifting nose 35, and said latches are held in positions against the belt 21 by means of a spring 36 secured at its opposite ends to .the latches and extending through an opening in the top piece 18, and as shown in Figures 3and 8 of the drawings. A door opening stop 37 in the form of a bloclr ha.ving a groove to receive the track 14, 1s secured to said track as by means'of a set screw at the point of rest of the actuating slide when the doors are in their open position, this block having a door holding notch 38 to receive the catch shoulder 34 on the door opening latch 23 and hold the doors in their opened positions, as shown in Figure 3. In

this figure the shoulder 34 is in a position to I which it will he sometimes moved by momentum of the opening movement of the doors, but it will be seen that should the doors at- .tempt to close the shoulder will enga e of said rods being pivotally attabhed to the slide and the other end of each of said rods this seat consisting of a pin 43, as shown in pivotally attached to a plate 40 seto and projecting from the inner face being cure ;of the door.

In order that the actuating slide may have a door unlocking movement, to be herein- 7 bar 41, this bar constituting that part of each rod that is pivotally attached to the door. A spring 42 is interposed between the end of the bar 41 and a spring seat within the hollow portion of the bar, as shown herein Figure 4 of the drawings.

4 A. motor starting switch device 49 of any suitable form may be employed to effect starting operations of the motor, and such device may be located in ,a convenient position, an ideal condition existing when such startin switch is located so that it may be reache from a vehicle which has just moved out of the garage through the open doors, whereby. the mechanism may be started to close the doors from this point and also from the same point it may be operated to open the doors when it is desired to drive the vehicle into the garage. With the'mechanism arranged as above described the operation will be as follows: 1

Considering the doors as being in their closed position, as illustrated in Figure 1, by operating the switch 49 the motor will be started and through the medium of the worm 27, worm wheel28, and sheave 29 the actuating belt 21 will be caused to travel in the direction indicated by the arrows.

The catch block 32 is released from the catch shoulder 34 on the latches 23 and 24 by contact of the nose 35 on the latch undergoing release with a door opening or closing stop 37 or 50, depending upon the position of the catch slide with relation to said stops, the latch being lifted sufiiciently to disengage the shoulder 34 thereon from said catch block and permitthe latter to travel some distance beyond the latch before coming to rest. The door closing stop 50 is of'a construction similar to the stop 37, but Without a holding notch therein, and this stop is-se s end of the path of travel of said block, and

cured to the track 14 in the same manner as is the stop 37. The time of release of the catch block 32 from-the shoulder 34 at either the consequent extent of movement of said block beyond the latch 23 or 24 after such release, W111 depend upon conditions as to adjustment of mechanism to be hereinafter. described for operating the stop switch, and

this adjustment should be such as to permit movement of the catch block 32 to a point at some distance beyond the stops 37 or-50.

hereinbefore described the shoulder 34 almanac on thelatch 23 is'in engagement with the notch 38 in the block 37 when the doors are in their open position, this engagement holding the doors open. Release of the latch 23 from the stop 37 is effected at the beginning of the closing operation of the mechanism by contact of the releasing block 33 with the nose of said latch, and as illustrated in Figure 3, said releasing block remaining in contact with said nose for a time sulficient to permit the latter tobe moved out of registering position with respectto the notch 38.

1n the closing movement of the doors, as hereinbefore described, this releasing operation takes place by contact of the nose of the latch 24 with the end of the door closing stop 50 at the end of the operation, and as shown in Figure 6 of the drawings, this release taking place before said actuating slide reaches the stop 50, 1 I

When the mechanism is thus started a certain preliminary movement will take place without movement of the operating slide,

this movement being suficient to pass the catch block 32 from one sideof said slide around the sheave nearest to said slide and along the opposite side of said slide into engagement with the shoulder 34 on the latch on the opposite side of the slide. When such engagement takes place the slide will again begin to move away from its stop and by reason of the yielding connection between the members of the connecting rod 39, the mechanism may operate still further without movement of the doors, this further movement be-' said stop and into the notch 38, and this swinging movement of the latch 23 will also cause the catch shoulder 34 to be disengaged from the catch block 32.

When theparts are in this position, and as illustrated in Figure 3, the doors are open, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1, and at such time a stopping lug 44 projecting from the side of the actuating slide and through which a stopping rod 45 projects engages with a spring 46 on 'said rod and forces the rod in a direction to operate a stopping switch 47, and as illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings, the spring 46 being seated against a collar 48 on the rod. The switch 47 may be of any ordinary form and mg sufficient to enable locking mechanism a emme scribed in such manner that when the latter is operated to again start the motor and the actuating slide reaches the opposite limit of its movement to close the' doors, the rod 45, being forced in an opposite direction to that above described, will operate the switch 47 in an opposite direction to again stop the motor. This construction of the stopping switch 47 and the starting switch 49, and the connections between said switches and with said motor will be readily understood by those skilled in the art and for this reason a detailed and further description of said switches is omitted herein.

The starting switch 49 being now again operated to start the motor in operation for the purpose of closing the doors, a preliminary movement of the actuating belt 21 will take place as hereinbefore described sufficient to move the catch block 32 from the position reached when the mechanism ceased its door opening movement to aposition in engagement with the shoulder on the nose of the closing latch 24, and as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, and the actuating slide will be moved from the position shown in-Figure 3 to the right until it reaches the position shown in Figure 6. As said slide nears the end of its movement in this direction the nose of the latch 24 will ride over the edge of after the stopping lug 44 will engage a spring.

51 that is seated against a collar 52 upon the stopping rod 45 and of a construction similar to that of the spring 46 and collar 48 hereinbefore set forth, and said rod will thereby be moved to the right, and as hereinbefore described, to operate the switch 47 to stop the operation of the mechanism, the doors at this time having reached their closed position and movement of the actuating slide ceasing by engagement with the stop 50.

The door 11 is provided with a lock 53 pivotally mounted on a lock supporting plate 54 secured to and projecting from the inner surface of the door, in the structure herein shown a shaft 55 being mounted in the plate 54 and having the lock 53 secured thereto.

The shaft 55 extends to the bottom of the door which may be provided at this end of the shaft with a similar locking mechanism. The end of the lock 53 enga es, when operating to secure the door, a loc ing lip 56 on a locking plate 57 and as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings.

A lock operating arm 58 projects from the shaft 55 into the path of movement of alocking stud-59 projecting from one of the rods 39, as shown-in Figure 5 of the drawlngs.

In operation, in the preliminary movement of the parts, the connecting rod composed of the members 39 and 41 is contracted, the member 39 moving inwardly upon the member 41. This carries the stud 59 into engage! ment with the arm 58 swinging the latter to disengage the lock 53 from the locking lip 56.

At about this time the catch block 32 will ongage the shoulder on the latch 24, after the lock 53 has been disengaged from the lip 56.

doors to be opened by the operation of the mechanism as hereinbefore described. A weather strip 60 secured to the door 11 and overlapping the door 10 will cause the latter to be held in its closed position until released by opening of the door 11.

I claim 1. A door, an actuating member operatively connected therewith and movable in a single direction, means for imparting movement to said actuating member, means for automatically connecting said actuating member with said door and automatically operable means for disconnecting the actuating member from said door 2. A door, an actuating member operatively connected therewith and movable in a single direction, means for imparting movement to said actuating member, and rigid 'abut ments arranged in the path of movement of the actuating member for alternately eon--v necting and disconnecting said actuating member-with and from said door.

3. A door, an endless belt operatively connected therewith, means for supporting said belt, means for driving said belt, and means for alternately connecting and disconnecting said belt with and from said door to impart alternate opening and closing movement thereto. A I

4. A. door, an endless belt operatively connected therewith, means for supporting said belt, means for imparting intermittent movement thereto, a reciprocating slide, and co operating means carried by the slide and endless belt for alternately connecting and dis;

connecting said belt with and from said door to impart alternate opening and closing movement thereto. 7 p

5. A door an actuating slide operatively connected direction and operatively connected with said sl de, means for operating said actuating member, and cooperating latches and abutments carried by the slide and actuating member for connecting and disconnecting said actuating member from said actuating sllde to alternately open and close said door,

said means including devices to automatical- 1y disconnect the connecting means upon eontmuous movement of the actuating member in one direction.

6. Adoor, an actuating slide operatively connectedtherewith, door opening and closing latches mounted on said actuating slide,

The parts are now in posltlon to permit the therewith, an endless actuating Q member mounted for movement in a single means for alternately engaging said opening and closing latches with said actuating member. I V

7. A door, an actuating'slide operatively connected therewith, opening and closing latches mounted on said slide, an endless belt actuating member movable constantly in one direction, means on said actuating member to alternately engage said opening and closing latches, means for disconnecting said engaging means from said latches, and means for a one-Way motor, a sheave operatively' connected to the motor,a second sheave, an end- '1ess flexible member passing about said sheaves, a reciprocating slide, means embodying a releasable member to operatively connect the slide tosaid flexible member at one side of the sheaves when the door is open,

means embodying another releasable member to operatively connect the slide to'said flexible member at the otherside otthe sheaves when the door is closed, means to automatically release the first named releasable member'when the door reaches the fully closed position, means to automatically release the second named releasable member when the door reaches the fully opened position, means operatively connecting the slide to the door, means for manually starting the motor, and means for automatically stopping the motor when the door reaches the fully opened and closed positions; u v v 10. A door operating mechanism including a reciprocating slide, a motor operatively connected to the slide, a connecting rod operati'vely connecting the slide to the 'door and embodying a main section attached to the slide and a spring projected section attached to the door and capable of limited retracting movement relative to said main section, a

keeper, a lock bolt carried by the door and engageable with the keeper to hold the door closed, and means operable by said main connecting rod section for releasing said lock bolt when the slide is moved in a direction to open the door and prior to complete retracting movement of the spring projected connecting rod section and initial opening movement of the door. 9

11. A door operating mechanism including a reciprocating slide operatively connected to the door, a one-Way motor, an endless-actuating member operatively connected to the motor for being driven in a single direction, and means to automatlcally and alternately operatively connect and disconnect the slide to and from oppositely moving portions of the endless member.

PETER J. TRACY. 

